President of the National Association of Village Councils Orlando Dawson has responded to allegations made by several members of the NAVCO board. In a release signed by eight members of the Board, they accuse Dawson of running a one man show.

ORLANDO DAWSON

“Am certainly not running a one-man show as we are not taking a new meeting and we are not carrying on any affairs basically at NAVCO. What I’m presently do is visiting the districts to meet with the general assembly of the districts and along my trip this is what I took and this is what I ask questions. First question I ask them: are you in support of the president of NAVCO - yes or no; are you in support of the leader or president of one village or district - yes or no; are you in support of ARIEL which is and international group putting NAVCO, Town Council and Alcalde together, that is ARIEL; are you in support of the rural liquor licence, trade licence; are you in support of the four bi-laws for village council; are you in support of NAVCO regulations and so right down I go and ask all these ten questions and give them a chance to respond and if they agree, they sign to it and when they sign and agree then I move. The general assembly is the highest decision making person and when the board fails to do their things that they were elected to do I have no other choice than to go to the general assembly and that’s what I’m doing.”

AVA DIAZ

But why is the board not functioning why it that you are going around on your own is trying to enlist support?

ORLANDO DAWSON

“Well we need to reinstruct back NAVCO, NAVCO need to goes on because there are three agencies working along with NAVCO - CARILED, ECADURT and ARIEL; these three agencies want to work and they are opposing these agencies, so we need to do something and it’s the general assembly. NAVCO is not for us; the board and the work of NAVCO is not in the office but is out there with the village councils.”

Dawson said the problems started a few years ago.

ORLANDO DAWSON

“It all started in 2010/2011 when and it’s there in the minutes, I have it there when the six district presidents, they said but it wasn’t six it was only five because they keep on lying. They said six district presidents came together and consulted Mr. Kasiki, the late Mr. Kasiki to take legal action against the ministry for liquor license money that belonged to the village council because the ministry inform them that they cannot collect no more money on behalf of the village council because they cannot give account of the village council liquor license money. They get mad with the ministry and because I didn’t want to give them money from NAVCO to pay for the fees for the lawyer and they got mad and they borrow from me $500 of which they do not want to pay back.”

AVA DIAZ

“So in essence you’re saying it boils down to a money issue?”

ORLANDO DAWSON

“Yes it’s money they’re fighting for. The liquor license money that belongs to the village council and the ministry said no to them and they went as far as the Prime Minister and there’s a letter right there which the Prime Minister wrote back to them saying, why should we give you these money and you’re not accountable and we found out where one district use money to pay a lawyer and one district give $6000 loan to the other and one district use the money to buy Christmas ham and turkey; that is right there in it as well; it does not say Christmas ham and turkey but it says for Christmas purposes; it is right there in the letter.”

Dawson says the problem remains unresolved since the members have repeatedly refused to meet.